Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, a prominent fixture for many generations in Millbury, will officially celebrate its 150th anniversary on Oct. 10.
To commemorate the historic milestone, the church will hold a 150th anniversary worship service at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12. An anniversary banquet will follow at 1 p.m. at the Millbury Fireman’s Hall, which is sold out.
Kerry Patrick Clark, a national recording artist in the folk music genre who at one time served as the worship director at St. Peter’s, will be the entertainment at the banquet.
Tim DeLong, who is an elder for the church and part of the 150th anniversary planning committee, said they are expecting approximately 120 people to attend the banquet, including Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.
“I think it’s going to be a good time to celebrate the past,” DeLong said. “We have a lot of former members coming back who have married and moved away, that type of thing. We just have a lot that we’re proud of. It’s going to be a celebration of where we’ve been and looking to the future.”
On Oct. 5, St. Peter’s welcomed back to the pulpit Reverend Steve Wills, who is the church’s oldest living former pastor. Following that, the church hosted an open house from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., where pictures and memorabilia were on display as a nod to the church’s history.
In an era when many churches have faced declining attendance or even closure, such as most recently Calvary Lutheran Church at the corner of Woodville and Bradner, St. Peter’s has found a way to stay relevant.
In 2021, the church entered into a shared ministry with Eastminster United Presbyterian Church of East Toledo, which celebrated 125 years of serving the community in 2019. After worshipping separately but sharing a pastor for approximately three-and-a-half years, Eastminster sold its building and relocated to St. Peter’s in late 2024. In March 2025, they started worshipping as one church.
The shared ministry has a joint, combined search committee searching for a new pastor. Currently, DeLong said four to five guest pastors are filling in right now.
“It shows the strength of family,” DeLong said. “St. Peter’s has a core group of families who have been there for forever through generations and having that sense of family and being a beacon of hope and faith on the corner. Having that beacon, having that solid, stable presence right there, people know us, and they know we’re there.”
A rich history
St. Peter’s Church was originally founded by 12 families of German immigrants who came together to form the German Evangelical United St. Peter’s Church in 1875, just one year after Millbury became a village, making it the oldest continuous congregation in the community.
Early meetings of the church were held in homes under the guidance of Reverand Andrews of St. John’s in Genoa. Records even show that the first such meeting took place in the home of Adam Martin at 28443 Main Street, next to the railroad tracks.
That house still stands today, and a woman who is one of the current owners of that house, is a direct descendant of Martin, and she is believed to be the great, great, great granddaughter of him, DeLong said.
In 1877, the land at Main and Cherry was purchased for the first church building. In 1878, however, sparks from a passing train destroyed the newly built structure, which forced church members to return to home worship until the new church was constructed in 1884 with the help of a railroad settlement.
In that same year, the congregation adopted its first constitution and became known as the German Evangelical United St. Peter’s Congregation.
DeLong said the church still has the original constitution that was written in German and signed by the original founders.
After being served by pastors from Genoa in its early years, St. Peter’s hired a full-time resident minister in 1908 and a parsonage was purchased. Under the new leadership, Sunday school transitioned from German to English.
In 1920, a storm toppled the spire and cracked the church’s bell, which was repaired and continues to ring today.
The 1920s and 1930s brought growth and improvements, including the addition of stained-glass windows and a pipe organ. In 1934, following a national merger, the congregation became St. Peter’s Evangelical & Reformed Church.
During the 1950s, the congregation purchased land adjacent to the church and developed a community park. Over the years, the space has been used as a playground for the neighboring children, a community garden, softball games, and youth sports teams.
In 1960, following the national merger of four Protestant denominations, it became known as St. Peter’s United Church of Christ.
In 1969, a large boulder unearthed during sewer installation was moved beside the church. Its shape resembled the image of Christ in Gethsemane depicted on the altar painting. A plaque was added with Matthew 16:18: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
The church experienced significant growth in the 1990s. A flourishing youth program produced musical groups such as Kid’s Praise and The Light Brigade, which performed throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. A school bus was refurbished and given the nickname “The Christian Cruiser” and transported youth and senior adults alike, including trips to the Creation music festival in Pennsylvania. In 1996, an elevator and handicap-accessible restrooms were added to ensure access for all.
Community service has always been central to St. Peter’s. The congregation has supported local food pantries, partnered with organizations in the Toledo area, and hosted an Alcoholics Anonymous group for more than 40 years.
“Celebrating 150 years after Millbury did last year shows the longevity and support of the community,” DeLong said. “Even though there's multiple churches in the area, we're still surviving.”
On June 5, 2010, the church opened its doors to the community following the tragic tornado, serving as a command post for first responders and the Red Cross. The tornado had touched down less than a quarter mile from the church, causing $100 million in damage and claiming seven lives.
Like many churches worldwide, St. Peter’s had to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic. Worship quickly shifted online, and a “parking lot church” allowed services to be broadcast over FM radios. While in-person attendance has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, weekly livestreams continue to reach an average of 70+ viewers.
Recently, a renewed sense of energy has taken hold. Major improvements, including resurfacing the parking lot and installing a new digital sign, signal a congregation looking ahead with faith and hope.
That has DeLong and the church members looking forward.
“We’ve survived 150 years. Eastminster has survived 125,” DeLong said. “The vision of the folks in 1875 and subsequent generations have gotten us where we are today. But today, technology’s different. We’re in a different environment. There’s lots of factors coming into the future, but we need to be able to embrace the future. We can’t keep looking back. We have to look to the future.”
